About us

The choir „SONORE” was founded on October 13, 1987, by the
conductor Professor Edgars Račevskis, for the love and joy of music.

Currently, the choir consists of about 40 singers between the
ages of 18 and 50, all of whom share a creative passion for
music and a love of singing.

Since 1997 till January 2016, the Artistic Director and main conductor has been
Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.

Since February 2016 ,
the Artistic Director and main conductor has been Andis Groza.

The choir participates actively in concerts, competitions and
festivals within Latvian borders, as well as abroad.

Riga

1989

1st place in the International Choir
Competition "Riga '89"

Riga

1990

1st place in the mixed choirs category of the
Latvian Song Festival

Switzerland

1992

2nd place in the International Choir
Competition in Montreux

Italy

1993

1st place in the International Choir
Competition in Arezzo

USA

1994

Concert tour

Switzerland

1994

International music project
"Chatoranga"

Spain

1995

Participation in the International Choir Competition in
Tolosa

Sweden

1997

Baltic and Nordic Song Festival in Gotland

Switzerland

2000

2nd place in the International Choir
Competition in Montreux

Hungary

2001

Participation in the 8th International Choir
Competition in Budapest

Lithuania

2002

1st place in
the Nordic - Baltic Choir Festival Competition in
Klaipeda

Italy

2002

Participation
in the International Choir Competition in Arezzo

Spain

2003

Participation
in the
49th International Contest of Habaneras and
polyphony in Torrevieja

Ireland

2004

Schuman/Europe Trophy (Award) at the 50th Cork
International Choral Festival

Belgium

2005

Participation in the Flanders International Choir Festival
in Maasmechelen

Slovakia

2006

Concert tour

Estonia

2009

2nd place in the mixed voices choir group in
the International Choir Competition "Tallinn 2009" in
Tallinn

Lithuania

2010

2nd place in the International Religious Music
Competition
"Laudate
Dominum"
in Vilnius

Riga

2013

3rd place in the Choir Wars at the XXV Latvian
Song and XV Dance Festival

The repertoire of „Sonore” is comprised of music from various
centuries by various composers - from J. Haydn, A. Diabelli, A.
Bruckner, and J. Brahms to P. Eben, Kochevsky and many others - in
a diverse spectrum of genres, ranging from classical and baroque
to traditional and sacral. The choir's repertoire includes
Latvian folk songs and favourite pieces by renowned Latvian
composers past and present (P.Vasks, J.Ivanovs, A.Darzins and
others), as well as more popular pieces well-known to the
Latvian public.

„Sonore” has sung pieces from operas in several languages –
English, Italian, French, Russian and Latin (among others) and
recently (2011) recorded a Christmas album with the Professional
Symphonic Band „Rīga”.